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Just Eat Takeaway.com Announces Leadership Changes with its North America Segment

Current Grubhub CEO Adam DeWitt to step down
and will be replaced by Howard Migdal, CEO of SkipTheDishes 

CHICAGO, March 13, 2023 — Grubhub, a leading online food delivery platform, announces today that CEO Adam DeWitt, will step down from his position. Howard Migdal has been appointed executive vice president of North America and CEO of Grubhub. Migdal, a U.S. national, is currently the CEO of SkipTheDishes, Just Eat Takeaway.com’s Canadian subsidiary. DeWitt will remain with the company through May 1, 2023 to ensure a smooth transition.

Under DeWitt’s leadership for the past 11 years as CFO, President, and most recently CEO, Grubhub has grown from $20 million to more than $2 billion in annual revenues, with a network of more than 365,000 restaurants and approximately 400,000 delivery partners in more than 4,000 cities across the United States. DeWitt’s contributions to the company have been significant, including leading the company through its initial public offering in 2014 and the acquisition by Just Eat Takeaway.com in 2021.

Migdal has played a critical role in driving growth and scale at SkipTheDishes, Canada’s largest food delivery network. He brings more than 16 years of experience in food delivery, having co-founded GrubCanada, Canada’s first national food delivery platform in 2008.

“On behalf of the entire Management Board, I want to thank Adam for all his contributions at Grubhub,” said Jitse Groen, CEO of Just Eat Takeaway.com. “We are grateful for his leadership and dedication to the company, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors. We are also excited to promote Howard as the new leader of our North America segment and Grubhub’s new CEO,” Groen added. “He has a proven track record as a leader with a deep understanding of our business, and we are confident in his ability to lead and grow the business into the future.”

“I am honored to take on the role leading our North America business and becoming the CEO of Grubhub,” said Howard Migdal. “Grubhub is an incredible brand and has tremendous scale through its restaurant and delivery networks. I am excited to build on the foundation built by Adam and the team.”

“It’s hard to leave Grubhub, but it’s the right time for me after 11 years, “ said Adam DeWitt. “I am incredibly proud of what this team has accomplished and will forever value the relationships I’ve forged here. Grubhub is in great hands with Howard and the Grubhub leadership team, and I’m excited to watch the company continue to thrive.”

The company also announced that Steve Puchala, senior vice president, growth and restaurant success, has been appointed interim CEO for SkipTheDishes, and will report to Migdal.

About Grubhub

Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), and is a leading U.S. food ordering and delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms, and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 365,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

About SkipTheDishes

SkipTheDishes is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com, a leading global online food delivery marketplace. SkipTheDishes connects millions of customers with over 47,000 Restaurant Partners in Canada.

About Just Eat Takeaway.com

Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY) is one of the world’s leading global online food delivery marketplaces.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Company is focused on connecting consumers and partners through its platforms. With 692,000 connected partners, Just Eat Takeaway.com offers consumers a wide variety of food choice.

Just Eat Takeaway.com has rapidly grown to become a leading online food delivery marketplace with operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and Switzerland.

 

Grubhub’s ‘Serving the City’ Program Expands to Company’s Hometown of Chicago to Provide Meals to Communities in Need and Help Close the Hunger Gap

This expansion builds on Grubhub’s larger community impact commitments to kick off the new year

CHICAGO, Feb. 27, 2023 — On Tuesday, February 21st, Grubhub officially launched the expansion of its ‘Serving the City’ program to Chicago, the company’s hometown. The program kicked off with its first event at three senior centers in Chicago’s North Lawndale neighborhood, a historically under-resourced community on the city’s west side, in partnership with 24th Ward Alderwoman Monique Scott and local restaurants, Soulé and The Soulfood Lounge. 

With the Serving the City initiative, Grubhub partners with local aldermen to purchase 500 hot, prepackaged, culturally appropriate meals directly from local restaurants for onsite meal distribution events at housing authorities, senior centers, veterans’ residences, and other community-based organizations. The program further allows Grubhub the opportunity to act on its commitment to support local restaurants and give back to communities that need it most.  

“The impact of this project is important to me because it addresses the food insecurities we have with our seniors, and having the opportunity to feed them during a time when they possibly can’t do it for themselves. I’m so excited to let them taste delicious food from fine dining restaurants that exist within their community. Many of them are on a fixed income and might not take advantage of dining outside of their own kitchen,” said Alderwoman Monique Scott.

Soulé, one of the first sit-down restaurants in North Lawndale in decades, partners with Grubhub’s Serving the City program

Following this kickoff event, the program will continue to run throughout the year with the goal of partnering with restaurants and delivering meals to communities in need across Chicago’s 50 wards in partnership with local aldermen.

“I came from a family that inspired my love of cooking and taught me the importance of community. When I opened my restaurant, Soulé, I knew I wanted to make a difference through food. In partnering with Grubhub’s Serving the City, I’ve been able to give back and drive change in my community through what I love to do most,” said Bridgette Flaggs, owner of Soulé in North Lawndale. Soulé is one of the first sit-down restaurants that has opened in North Lawndale in the last decades – a neighborhood historically considered a food desert. 

Last year, Serving the City launched in New York City to help address food insecurity and support local, independent restaurants. The program aims to address the lasting effects of the pandemic and the increased cost of food with inflation that has impacted communities and restaurants in cities nationwide. Since July 2022, this initiative has served more than 17,500 meals to food insecure families in partnership with 40 restaurants, with the goal of serving more than 25,000 meals to communities in New York City alone. 

“It’s exciting for Grubhub to kick off our Serving the City program right here in Chicago. After the impactful year we had serving meals to communities in New York City, we knew we could make a real difference in our hometown and give back to the city we call home. We’re looking forward to expanding across Chicago to help as many people and restaurants as we can,” said Dave Tovar, Grubhub SVP of Communications and Government Relations.

According to Northwestern University economists, one in five households in the Chicago metro area experiences food insecurity, including one in four families with children. As Grubhub expands the program to address the needs of its home city, it’s continuing to prioritize alleviating food insecurity in communities in need. Beyond Chicago and New York City, Grubhub also plans to expand their program nationwide as part of a larger commitment to help close the hunger gap. Grubhub‘s other focus areas for the year ahead include supporting independent restaurants and creating opportunities for people in the hospitality industry. 

Chicago Alderwoman Monique Scott partners with Grubhub’s Serving the City program

For more information about Grubhub’s Serving the City and other community impact programs, visit https://about.grubhub.com/community/programs/.

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About Grubhub

Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting more than 32 million diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 320,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

Grubhub Celebrates $22 Million to Communities Nationwide in 2022

Proud to drive meaningful change through partnerships with more than 34 nonprofit organizations and continue expanding impact in 2023

By Dave Tovar
SVP Communications & Government Relations

Last year marked an important evolution in Grubhub’s philanthropic efforts. As the food service industry reset post-pandemic, we had the opportunity to rethink how we support the people and communities where we operate. We followed through with the philanthropic commitments made in 2021, and we added new partners, resulting in more than $22 million going to support more than 350 communities across the country. 

Our new vision includes three focus areas: supporting independent restaurants, working to close the hunger gap, and creating more opportunities for people in the hospitality industry. In 2022, 87 percent of our philanthropic resources supported this work. We are continuing to evolve as we enter 2023, partnering and supporting collective action on issues that face our industry and the communities in which we operate. Taking key learnings from existing partnerships, we continue to prioritize impact and identify new ways that we can not only direct philanthropic support, but also leverage our business to drive meaningful change. 

Grubhub's National Impact 2022

As we start a new year, I want to highlight some of the impactful work happening in communities across the country, including:

  • Supporting 34 national and regional nonprofit organizations* facilitating work in our three focus areas through the Grubhub Community Fund. These partners make up a network of more than 400 organizations providing access to essential needs like food, access to capital, and access to opportunities to drive mobility and impact.  
  • Addressing the growing hunger gap caused by food insecurity and distributing 527,902 meals and 2.8 million pounds of food through 14 nonprofit partnerships funded by the Grubhub Community Fund. Even better, more than 70% of the food distributed came from food recovery programs which means it would have otherwise gone to waste.
  • Providing an additional 17,500 meals purchased from local independent restaurants to serve families and individuals living in housing authorities, senior centers, and veterans’ residences in 35 districts across the five boroughs of New York City through our Serving the City program.
  • Granting 20 drivers with $10,000 each to make a positive impact on their community. 
  • Amplifying the impact of our employees and matching 432 employee donations to local nonprofits across the country.
  • Aiding in rapid response through the Grubhub Community Fund, which provided $1,250,000 in Ukraine support to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and World Central Kitchen and providing $100,000 in support to Bronxworks, Inc. to help 120 families re-establish housing following the devastating Bronx fire. We also provided $25,000 in aid to Feedmore Western New York as they worked to provide support to the communities devastated by the mass shooting in Buffalo, NY. 

More than ever, we are focused on what it means to make a difference and drive impact as we execute against our new vision. The stories of the individuals, families and communities impacted by our efforts continue to inspire us, and I would like to share some special stories with you.

Supporting Independent Restaurants 

Creating access to capital and business development opportunities for local, family-owned businesses is at the core of our goals for independent restaurant-focused philanthropic support. In addition to our continued relationship with the Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund, we also partnered with diverse business organizations to drive programs and opportunities for AAPI-, Black-, Hispanic- and LBGTQ+- owned restaurants. These efforts, supported by the Grubhub Community Fund, have helped local independent establishments close gaps in payroll, replace broken equipment and update kitchens, and market their spaces. This also includes providing winterization grants which enabled 70 restaurants in New York, Chicago, Boston, and Philadelphia to adapt to the colder months and expand outdoor areas. For example:

  • Elena Barcenes of Rincón Salvadoreño is the proud owner of New York City’s first Salvadorean Restaurant serving the community since 1980. Elena’s restaurant is family-owned and operated, and they were hit hard in recent years. She used the Grubhub grant to keep her staff employed during the lean months and shared, “I have fought my hardest to keep my doors open. I am a minority woman fighting to contribute to society by offering jobs and serving our Jamaica Community”. 
  • Zachary Lucchese-Soto of Bluebird Café in Chicago is using the Winterization funds to keep his patio open during the frigid weather. The patio is the restaurant’s lifeblood and accounts for 50% of their overall seating and by keeping it open year-round, his business can thrive no matter the weather conditions.

Already in the works in 2023, we are supporting 130 new winterization grants and continuing our partnerships with our diverse business partners, prioritizing equitable access to opportunity across the programs we support. 

Working to Close the Hunger Gap

Since the launch of Donate the Change in 2018, allowing diners to round up their total to the nearest dollar at checkout and donate to charitable causes, we have worked to identify partnerships and initiatives focused on closing the hunger gap across the country. In 2022, we successfully expanded our efforts by not only supporting the direct distribution of ready-to-eat meals and groceries to individuals and families in need, but also narrowed in on identifying new opportunities to drive impact. Collectively this resulted  in more than 545,000 meals, 2.8 million pounds of food, and geographic expansion of the food recovery programs we support. Our newest endeavor leverages our ordering platform to provide those experiencing food insecurity access to meals through our partnership with Bento.

We’ve also embarked on new ways to support collective action. In June 2022, we launched our Serving the City program in New York City. Through this program, Grubhub works in tandem with local restaurants and New York City Council members to address food insecurity, positioning us to understand specific needs in the community and then partner with local restaurants to purchase and provide culturally-appropriate meals where they are most needed. In 2022, we purchased 17,500 meals which were provided to individuals and families living within housing authorities, senior centers, and veterans’ residences in 35 districts across the five boroughs of New York City.

  • Councilwoman Julie Menin, Chair of the City Council Small Business Committee, and Grubhub purchased 500 meals from family-owned restaurant Mansion Diner and distributed them to area residents at The Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center. Councilwoman Menin noted that “This is an excellent partnership between community leaders, small businesses and an online food ordering company. By partnering with our local restaurants, Grubhub is truly committing dedicated resources to combating hunger in New York City.”
  • Councilwoman Linda Lee joined Grubhub to deliver 250 meals to seniors at Commonpoint Queens in Little Neck and homebound seniors at Deepdale CARES NORC. Following the visit, Danielle Ellman, CEO of Commonpoint shared, “With more than one in 10 seniors facing food insecurity, programs like these are literally saving lives by getting healthy meals to our most vulnerable. Thank you to Grubhub and Council member Lee for their support in helping older adults age with dignity.”

Creating More Opportunities for People in the Hospitality Industry

Supporting those working within the hospitality industry, especially our delivery partners, remains a focus for Grubhub. In 2022, we kicked off a second year of grants to directly support our delivery partners looking to drive meaningful change in their communities. The recipients of our Driver Grant Program continue to do amazing work in their communities. For example, our New York City driver, Galliano, used his $10,000 grant to support youth in his community by providing them with school supplies and nutritious before-and-after-school snacks to help keep students engaged in learning. Chicago based driver, Symone, is also using the grant to support two local nonprofit organizations, Nourishing Hope and the Telpochcalli Community Education Project. Symone is an active member of the Telphochalli Community education fund, which mobilizes youth for social justice work by building individual capacity and mutual responsibility through culturally relevant and community-directed education. She’s also using a portion of the grant to continue her own schooling.

Additionally, the Grubhub Community Fund supported several new partnerships focused on job training, job placement and work that champions removing barriers to opportunity within the hospitality industry via collective action. To date, we have partnered with The Hospitality Project, Momentum Advisory Collective, and Women in Hospitality United. As our newest focus area, we know there is more work to be done and we look forward to identifying new opportunities where we can expand our impact. 

Looking Ahead

As we look ahead to 2023, we’re focused on creating more impact in the communities we serve, in ways Grubhub is uniquely positioned to do. We believe in supporting independent restaurants to positively impact communities, using technology and our network to help close the widening hunger gap, and creating opportunities in the hospitality industry.

*See here for a full list of the 34 Grubhub Community Fund partners awarded a grant in 2022:

  • ACE Foundation
  • Bronxworks Inc.
  • East Central Illinois Refugee Mutual Assistance Center (The Refugee Center)
  • Ethiopian Community Association of Chicago
  • Feed the Soul Foundation
  • Feedmore Western New York
  • Food Bank for NYC
  • Greater Boston Food Bank
  • Greg Hill Foundation – Restaurant Strong Fund
  • Heartland Human Care Services, Inc.
  • Hospitality Project Inc 
  • JCFS Chicago (HIAS)
  • Junior League of Kansas City Mo Inc.
  • Madison Square Boys and Girls Club
  • MEANS Database
  • Momentum Advisory Collective (Cafe Momentum)
  • NGLCC Foundation
  • Nourish PHX
  • Nourishing Hope
  • Piatt Family Foundation
  • Plant Powered Metro New York
  • Queens Center for Progress
  • Rescuing Leftover Cuisine
  • Star House Foundation
  • Tacombi Foundation
  • UNHCR (The UN Refugee Agency)
  • Union League Boys and Girls Club of Chicago
  • US Black Chambers CEDC
  • Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens
  • Women in Hospitality United
  • World Central Kitchen
  • World Relief Chicago
  • World Relief Quad Cities
  • Youth Guidance

The Grubhub Community Fund is a donor advised fund at a national sponsoring organization. The Grubhub Community Fund is made possible through donations from our customers through our Donate the Change feature. Grubhub matches contributions on eligible orders from our Grubhub+ members.

Grubhub Corporate Accounts Launches Dedicated Solution for Tax Exempt Clients

The automated tax exempt solution streamlines food ordering and account management by automatically removing taxes on eligible orders

Grubhub Corporate Accounts, the industry’s most flexible meal perk platform, announced today its automated, tax exempt solution that removes taxes from non-profit and tax exempt eligible organizations’ invoices and order totals at checkout.

The automated tool further solidifies Grubhub Corporate Accounts as the industry’s most robust  platform, offering the most solutions with the largest restaurant supply for catering and individual ordering. Grubhub Corporate Accounts previously offered a manual tax exempt feature for eligible clients, including companies within the education, non-profit, healthcare and government sectors. The automated solution is a simpler way to ensure taxes are immediately excluded from orders, and clients can choose from a weekly, biweekly or monthly invoicing schedule.

“We heard from our tax exempt clients that they were looking for us to more seamlessly meet their specialized food ordering needs,” said Jeff Mirmelstein, vice president and general manager of corporate accounts at Grubhub. “Now, admins can manage all invoices, tax exempt certificates, exemption statuses and meal orders in the online Grubhub Corporate Accounts administrative portal, saving them both time and money.”

Example illustration

For more information on Grubhub Corporate Accounts, please visit corporate.grubhub.com.

Expanding the Value of Direct for Grubhub Merchants

Since our founding in 2004, we’ve focused on helping restaurants drive orders online and build up their digital presence — an effort that has taken on many forms as technology and our industry have evolved. In our early days, we served as a digital marketplace to send orders to restaurants that they fulfilled. We added our own delivery drivers into the mix over the years to give restaurants an option for delivery support if they didn’t have their own drivers. 

Now fast forward to 2021 when we rolled out Direct, a commission-free branded web ordering channel that gives independent restaurants more options for driving online orders from their own branded channels. Direct recommitted to helping merchants strengthen their digital presence, but our work isn’t finished. We continue to find new ways to help our merchants succeed online, and today, we’re excited to share our latest features coming to Direct soon. 

“A robust digital footprint is key for merchants as they look to reach more diners across ordering channels,” said Kate Green, vice president of restaurant services and innovation at Grubhub. “Our restaurant innovation team is hyper-focused on gathering and analyzing feedback from merchants and data from our platforms. We put these insights into action to further support restaurants’ goals by building products and tools that help drive their business forward. We’re excited to strengthen our offerings for merchants and to serve as an even better, more valuable partner.”

Integration with Google Business Profiles

Merchants will be able to add their Direct site across their Business Profile on Google Search and Maps and select it as their preferred ordering channel via our integration. We know running day-to-day operations is a full time job and resourcing continues to be a challenge across the industry, so we’re making it as easy as possible for merchants to promote their Direct site with just a few clicks within their Direct dashboard. With this integration, we’re putting the control in merchants’ hands to get greater visibility with hungry diners searching for restaurant options, driving more orders without commissions. According to Grubhub data during testing, we found that on average, Direct merchants who list their Direct site on their Google Business Profile receive nearly 20x the orders compared to those who don’t list their Direct site on their Google Business Profile.

$0 delivery fees for restaurants on Direct orders

Direct has always been marketing commission-free, but in the coming weeks, we’ll begin waiving the delivery fee (previously $1.99 per order) paid by Direct merchants that use Grubhub couriers to deliver Direct orders. Cultivating deeper relationships with our restaurant partners is invaluable, and we’ve built our business by helping restaurants grow theirs. It’s these efforts and technology that allow us to serve restaurants by providing tools to reach new diners and grow their business. 

Guest checkout for Direct

Direct is all about enabling merchants to drive more commission-free orders and reach even more diners. With Guest Checkout, diners will be able to order from a merchant’s Direct site without creating a Grubhub account. This removes a barrier to placing an order at checkout, making it easier for new diners to order while helping restaurants generate more sales.

Commission-free ordering and integrations that allow merchants to market to diners are just two components of our Direct product suite. We also know just how powerful a loyal diner base is for our partners. To generate this loyalty, merchants first and foremost need to be where their diners are. Today Direct is a branded website, but as we look to the future, we’re testing additional branded channels that will enable merchants to add more touchpoints with their diners. Stay tuned and up to date with the latest Direct advancements here.

$1.5 Million in New Grants Will Support LGBTQ+-Owned and Allied Restaurants

National LGBT Chamber of Commerce Teams Up with Grubhub For Another Year of Grants to Aid in Growth and Development

Washington, DC — America’s LGBTQ+-owned restaurants and bars serving food will once again find a vital lifeline this year stemming from the ongoing partnership formed by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBTQ+ community and certifying body for LGBTQ+-owned businesses nationwide, and Grubhub, a leading U.S. food-ordering and delivery marketplace.

Today the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce opened applications for the NGLCC Community Impact Grant Program, a program made possible by a grant from the Grubhub Community Fund. The grants are expected to range from $10,000 to $25,000 and funds can be used for things like updating security and security protocols, updating/purchasing new equipment, community involvement, marketing and PR services, updating digital/e-commerce presence, purchasing product, staff training programs, employee pay and/or staff incentivized wages, COVID-19 recovery, and maintenance/updating of current infrastructure.

“We often say at NGLCC that if you can buy it, an LGBTQ+-owned business can supply it,” said NGLCC Co-Founder & President Justin Nelson. “That is especially true of the LGBTQ+-owned restaurants and establishments across America who kept our communities and first responders fed throughout the pandemic and have been so active in the recovery. We’re proud to again partner with Grubhub, with the support from the Grubhub Community Fund, in offering grants to support businesses throughout the nation this round with an even wider scope of opportunities for grant utilization to help them succeed.”

“NGLCC has been an incredible partner to Grubhub, and it was a no-brainer to renew this program which has supported so many LGBTQ+-owned businesses across the country,” said Dave Tovar, Grubhub’s senior vice president of Communications and Government Relations. “We’ve heard so many stories of how independent restaurants have used these grants to do amazing things for their business and in their communities, and I’m excited to see what new and exciting things come out of the next group of grant recipients.”

Once again, under the innovative grant program, the NGLCC has set a goal to allocate 30 percent of the funds to businesses owned by people of color and transgender and gender expansive (TGX) individuals. Between now and March 2023, NGLCC will roll the grant program out regionally, with applications for East Coast establishments launching on January 24, 2023 through February 14, 2023. Applications for the Central US will open in February 2023, and those for the West Coast will roll out in March 2023. Restaurants wishing to learn more about applying for grants should visit nglcc.org/ghgrant.

The NGLCC’s network of more than fifty Affiliate Chambers across America will once again help amplify this grant opportunity to support local restaurants. Those local chambers will again benefit from this initiative’s Affiliate Chamber Fund. In addition to supporting local efforts to share the grant opportunity, this fund has and will continue to enable any establishment that receives a grant that is not currently a member of an NGLCC local affiliate chamber to have one year of membership paid.

For more information on the Community Impact Grant Program regarding restaurant eligibility requirements, timelines, how to apply, and more, please visit www.nglcc.org/ghgrant.

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About NGLCC

The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) is the business voice of the LGBT community and is the largest global advocacy organization specifically dedicated to expanding economic opportunities and advancements for LGBT people. NGLCC is the exclusive certification body for LGBT-owned businesses, known as Certified LGBT Business Enterprise® (Certified LGBTBE®) suppliers.
www.nglcc.org @nglcc

About Grubhub

Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), a leading global online food delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 365,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

Grubhub Applauds New York City Council Passage of “Skip the Stuff” Bill to Cut Plastic Waste

City Council bill, backed by Councilmembers Marjorie Velazquez and Eric Botcher, stands to cut costs for restaurants by making single-use plastics available only upon request 

NEW YORK, Jan. 23, 2023 – Gruhbub today reinforced its support for cutting down on plastic waste by praising the City Council’s passage of “Skip the Stuff,” a bill to prohibit utensils, napkins, condiment packets and containers from being provided with takeout orders from restaurants and delivery services unless specifically requested by the consumer. 

“Grubhub is pleased to see the City Council take action to reduce plastic waste by passing ‘Skip the Stuff,’ which is a win not only for the environment but for local restaurants across New York City. By cutting out extra plastics, restaurants – particularly New York’s small and independent restaurants – now stand to save on operating costs,” said Joshua Bocian, senior manager for government affairs for the east region at Grubhub. “Meanwhile, New York City, already a leader on sustainability initiatives, is making meaningful progress toward curbing the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic used and directed to our waste stream each year.” 

Grubhub previously committed to reduce the number of single-use plastics when it joined the #CutOutCutlery initiative in 2021. Since then, the Grubhub app and website have automatically defaulted to zero utensils and napkins with every order. Diners can still request plasticware when needed.

About Grubhub

Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), and is a leading U.S. food ordering and delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 365,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

Grubhub and Topanga.io Bring Zero-Waste Takeout to College Campuses

Reusable packaging on to-go dining hall orders now available for The Ohio State University and Colorado State University students, with expansion to more campuses this year

CHICAGO and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Grubhub, a leading food ordering and delivery marketplace, and Topanga.io, a leading reusable packaging management platform, announced today a partnership to provide integrated zero-waste takeout services on college campuses across the United States through Topanga.io’s ReusePass program.

Diners who place a to-go order from on-campus dining locations via the Grubhub app will be able to select reusable packaging at checkout. By selecting this option, their meals will be packaged in a reusable container using Topanga.io’s track-and-trace technology, allowing campus diners to keep track of what containers they have and when they need to be returned. This program is currently available at The Ohio State University and Colorado State University, with plans to expand to more campuses throughout the year.

“Grubhub’s campus partners have been vocal that sustainable solutions are a top priority, and we’re looking forward to working with Topanga.io to support universities’ sustainability efforts,” said Adam Herbert, senior director of campus partnerships at Grubhub. “The campus dining world presents a large and scalable opportunity for sustainable solutions like this one, and we’re excited to expand our suite of campus dining offerings to our partners.”

“Grubhub is a leader in mobile ordering technology and has a great reputation among its campus partners, so we’re thrilled to be working with them as we bring our mission to eliminate single-use packaging to campuses across the country,” said Page Schult, CEO of Topanga.io. “We’ve been very intentional to build the best technology in the market, and it has been great to work with a leading provider like Grubhub to further bolster the strength of our campus offering,” echoed Adam Bailey, CTO of Topanga.io.

“Sustainability is part of the culture for Student Life Dining Services at The Ohio State University,” said Zia Ahmed, senior director of dining services at The Ohio State University. “We are pleased to work with our partners as we take key steps toward making progress in reducing waste and advancing our sustainability efforts.”

“Colorado State University’s residential dining services team has been eager to bring Topanga.io’s ReusePass program to campus in partnership with Grubhub to expand on our sustainability initiatives,” said Patrick St. Clair, assistant director, support services at Colorado State University. “It’s efforts like this one that allows us to continue driving forward-thinking efforts and innovation within our residential dining program while leveraging and growing our program technologically. Today, we’re excited to offer the Reusepass program to our students, faculty, and staff.”

Grubhub partners with more than 270 college campuses across the United States to give students the ability to integrate meal plans directly into their Grubhub account and access restaurants both on- and off-campus for delivery and pickup. Topanga has helped QSRs, grocery delivery, and meal prep companies launch data-driven reusable packaging programs and is excited to bring their innovative technology to campuses nationwide. To date, they’ve helped their clients manage 1,200,000 reusable assets.  

For more information on how administrators can bring this delivery experience to their campus, please visit here. 

About Grubhub 

Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), and is a leading U.S. food ordering and delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms, and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 365,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

About Topanga.io 

Topanga.io is making reusable packaging scalable. Topanga’s track-and-trace technology is the first of its kind, helping brands and organizations launch reusable packaging programs that eliminate single-use packaging at scale while delivering measurable economic and environmental ROI. Topanga.io was founded by Page Schult, Adam Bailey, and Max Olshanksy and founding team members Hayley Bance and Wesley Jin.

 

Grubhub Partners with RapidSOS to Enhance Driver Safety through Faster & Smarter 911 Response

RapidSOS’s intelligent safety platform integrates with Grubhub for Drivers app, routing accurate data to 911 responders whenever an emergency call is made 

CHICAGO and NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Grubhub announced today it is enhancing safety for its delivery partner community by linking into RapidSOS, the intelligent safety platform that routes life-saving data to first responders in an emergency. The partnership will provide Grubhub delivery partners the ability to share dynamic location data as well as caller ID (name, phone number) directly to 911 responders when an emergency call is placed via the Grubhub for Drivers App. The integration is now available in New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago and will roll out nationwide by mid-2023.

Grubhub and RapidSOS Integration
Grubhub and RapidSOS Integration

With the continuous rise of gig economy jobs, which are expected to make up half of the United States workforce by 2027, Grubhub is focused on expanding its safety features for drivers through partnerships with leading technologies like RapidSOS. For those seeking more flexibility and earning opportunities via Grubhub, the new features will protect delivery partners every step of the way by providing around the clock access to emergency services.

“Grubhub knows that feeling comfortable on the road is a huge component of a positive driving experience, and we are thrilled to partner with RapidSOS to allow our drivers to quickly connect with first responders directly through our app in case of emergency,” said Jeff Smith, director of logistics for Grubhub. “Our delivery partners are essential to thousands of businesses and communities, which is why we are constantly innovating to offer the latest safety features and technology.”

“Grubhub is a leader in take-out and food delivery, providing an essential service for communities and opportunities for individuals,” said Karin Marquez, Chief Public Safety Brand Officer, RapidSOS. “With safety becoming an important feature across technology products and apps, we applaud Grubhub for being proactive in bringing a direct link to 911 for its delivery partners with actionable data that enables faster and smarter emergency response.”

Linking Delivery Partners to Safety

Serving millions of diners with hundreds of thousands of orders daily, Grubhub’s delivery partners are essential to their local businesses and communities. Through its Driver Safety Council, Grubhub holds regular discussions with active Grubhub delivery partners on how to ensure each feels safe while delivering orders. Direct input helps the company continuously improve while connecting drivers to safety gear, tutorials, and in-app navigation for those using bikes to make deliveries.

In collaboration with RapidSOS, the Grubhub for Drivers App will now digitally route critical data to the nearest 911 center. It does so via three new features that are accessible to delivery partners when they hit the SOS Button in the Safety Services section: 911 Slider, Safety Agent Call, and Safety Agent Text. With just one tap, Grubhub Delivery Partners are connected to emergency assistance by voice or text message.

The 911 slider feature allows a delivery partner to simply swipe within the app to immediately connect with 911. The Safety Agent Call or Text feature links a delivery partner to a RapidSOS agent, who can walk them through an uncomfortable situation and pass along real-time location data along with name and phone number to first responders if needed.

For more information about the partnership and Grubhub’s commitment to delivery partner safety, please visit https://driver.grubhub.com/driver-safety/.

About RapidSOS, Inc.

In partnership with public safety, RapidSOS has created the world’s first intelligent safety platform that securely links life-saving data from over 500 million connected devices, apps and sensors directly to safety agents, 911 and first responders. To learn more about our technology that’s creating life-saving connections, visit www.rapidsos.com.

About Grubhub

Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), and is a leading U.S. food ordering and delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 365,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.

Grubhub Applauds Congressional Passage of Food Donation Improvement Act (FDIA) as Pivotal in Fight Against Food Insecurity

FDIA clarifies existing food donation laws, making it easier for restaurants & businesses to fight waste and give excess food directly to those in need 

WASHINGTON –  Following years of advocacy on the Hill, Grubhub today praised Congress for passing the Food Donation Improvement Act (FDIA), which strengthens existing laws for food donations, helps prevent food waste and opens the door for  relief to be provided directly to the millions of Americans who are experiencing food insecurity. The legislation builds upon the codified Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act by expanding and clarifying liability protections so that companies can directly donate safe quality foods without litigation fears. 

“The Food Donation Improvement Act will bring all businesses, ranging from large corporations to small and independent restaurants, into the fight against food insecurity,” said Amy Healy, vice president of government affairs at Grubhub. “With billions of dollars of food going to waste each year – even with hunger on the rise – it’s well past time to clarify America’s laws around food donation. We applaud our partners in government on both sides of the aisle for sending this essential legislation to President Biden’s desk.” 

As part of its effort to diminish food insecurity, Grubhub has been a vocal supporter of the Food Donation Improvement Act, meeting with more than 50 Congressional offices on both sides of the aisle to build support and garner cosponsors. The company joined Members of Congress and other corporate partners including WW and the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic on the Hill this summer for educational briefings and advocacy training and was among the three original signers of an open letter calling on Congress to pass the FDIA. 

About Grubhub 

Grubhub is part of Just Eat Takeaway.com (LSE: JET, AMS: TKWY), and is a leading U.S. food ordering and delivery marketplace. Dedicated to connecting diners with the food they love from their favorite local restaurants, Grubhub elevates food ordering through innovative restaurant technology, easy-to-use platforms and an improved delivery experience. Grubhub features more than 365,000 restaurant partners in over 4,000 U.S. cities.